1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an ink-jet recording apparatus for performing a printing operation by using liquid ink. More specifically, the present invention is directed to such an ink-jet recording apparatus capable of limitedly using only a genuine ink-jet cartridge (normally-manufactured ink-jet cartridge), and also capable of refilling ink into such a genuine ink-jet cartridge, while cost performance is improved with maintaining a high recording quality. Also, the present invention is directed to an ink cartridge employed in this ink-jet recording apparatus, and to an ink refilling member used to refill ink into such a genuine ink cartridge.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, ink-jet recording apparatuses such as ink-jet printers are generally used in connection with popularization of personal computers. As recording systems by printing heads of such ink-jet recording apparatuses, there are one recording system with employment of a piezoelectric element and another recording system with employment of a heating element. In any of these ink-jet recording systems, ink is supplied from an ink storage chamber of an ink cartridge to a printing head, and then droplets of ink are jetted from very fine ink jetting ports of this printing head so as to print out on a recording paper. Generally speaking, there are two different types of ink cartridges, namely an ink cartridge made with a printing head in an integral form, and an ink cartridge separately provided with a printing head.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view for schematically representing a major portion of the above-explained conventional ink-jet recording apparatus. The ink-jet recording apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 11 is, for instance, a thermal ink-jet type serial printer. In this ink-jet recording apparatus 1, a printing head 2 is supported by a carriage 3, and is positioned opposite to a platen roller 4. The carriage 3 is slidably supported by a guide shaft 5 and is engaged with a geared belt 6. The geared belt 6 is rotary-driven along both a normal direction and a reverse direction via a gear (not shown) by rotating a motor 7 along both the normal direction and the reverse direction. As a result, while the printing head 2 is slid along the platen roller 4 in a width direction (namely, main scanning direction) of this ink-jet recording apparatus 1, indicated by a double arrow "A" of the recording paper 8 (see FIG. 11), this printing head 2 prints out characters and images, for example, characters of "a", "b", "c", "d", "e" shown in this drawing.
The platen roller 4 sandwiches the paper 8 between an auxiliary roller 9 and this platen roller 4, and is driven by another motor 10 so as to intermittently convey this paper 8 along the longitudinal direction (namely, sub-scanning direction). As a result, the printing operation is carried out in accordance with the line sequential manner by the printing head 2. A head cleaning apparatus 11 is arranged at a right edge position (namely, upper right oblique direction as viewed in FIG. 11) of the platen roller 4. This head cleaning apparatus 11 is equipped with a cleaning port 12. When the printing head 2 is located at a home position, namely right edge position, this cleaning port 12 is located opposite to an ink jetting plane of the printing head 2. At this time, while the ink jetting plane of the printing head 2 is periodically engaged with the cleaning apparatus 11 by the cleaning port 12, or is engaged therewith, if necessary, this ink jetting plane is cleaned.
As a consequence, it is possible to prevent, or avoid stuffing of ink jetting nozzles of this printing head 2. It should be understood that the above-explained drive operations of the respective units are controlled by a control unit (not shown in detail).
Also, two sorts of ink cartridges, namely a black ink cartridge 13 and a color ink cartridge 14 are detachably mounted on the above-explained carriage 3. It should also be noted that the respective ink cartridges 13 and 14 are provided separately from the printing head 2 as shown in this drawing.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view for illustratively showing the above-described carriage 3, the black ink cartridge 13 and the color ink cartridge 14, which are mounted on this carriage 3. As indicated in this drawing, a concave portion 15 and another concave portion 16 are formed in case side portions of the respective ink cartridges 13 and 14. A lock member 17a and another lock member 17b are provided on the side of the carriage 3. Since these lock members 17a and 17b are engaged with the above-explained concave portions 15 and 16, the respective cartridges 13 and 14 are fixed/supported on the carriage 3. An annular engaging portion 18 is formed at a backward lower portion of this carriage 3. This annular engaging portion 18 is outwardly fitted on the guide shaft 5 (see FIG. 11) so as to be engaged with this guide shaft 5.
FIG. 13A is a perspective view used to explain a structure made when the above-explained color ink cartridge 14 is assembled. In this perspective view, a partial portion of this assembled structure is cut away. FIG. 13B is a side-sectional view of this assembled component.
As indicated in FIG. 13A and FIG. 13B, the color ink cartridge 14 is constructed in such a manner that an internal portion of a cartridge case 19 is partitioned by two isolating walls 21-1 and 21-2 into three ink chambers 20 (namely, 20-1, 20-2, 20-3). An ink holding member 22 made of sponge is contained in each of the ink chambers 20. The respective color ink of yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) are fully filled into the respective ink chambers 20-1 to 20-3. These colors correspond to three primary colors employed in the subtractive mixture of color stimuli. Thereafter, a lid 23 is adhered onto the cartridge case 19 and then sealed by way of the ultrasonic melting method. Then, the resulting ink cartridge 14 is shipped from a factory.
A cylinder 24 (namely, 24-1, 24-2, 24-3) is provided on an ink supply port formed in the bottom portion of each of the above-explained three ink chambers 20. As to the cylinder 24, an upper surface 25 thereof is closed, and a slit (namely, 26-1, 26-2, 26-3) are formed on a peripheral surface of the cylinder portion located just under this upper surface 25, so that the color ink stored inside the ink chamber 20 may be soaked, or penetrated from this slit 26. In this case, when an ink cartridge is constituted without such an upper surface 25 of the cylinder 24, the ink directly drops along the lower direction, so that a large amount of color ink may be easily supplied. As a consequence, the color ink cartridge 14 is arranged in such a manner that the above-explained upper surface 25 and the slit 26 are provided so as to supply a proper amount of color ink.
A seal 27 (namely, 27-1, 27-2, 27-3) made of, for example, an aluminum foil is adhered onto the lower end of the cylinder 24. As indicated in FIG. 12, when this color ink cartridge 14 is mounted on the carriage 3, a coupling projection (not shown in detail) breaks this seal 27, so that an ink path is coupling-formed. This coupling projection is communicated with the printing head 2 arranged on the carriage 3, and is provided so as to receive the color ink. As a result, the color ink stored in the respective ink chambers 20 can be supplied to the printing head 2.
To refill improper ink (not-genuine ink) into the color ink cartridge 14 (will be discussed later), a hole may be formed in either the upper surface of the cartridge case 19 or the side surface thereof by using a drill. However, for example, when such a hole is formed in a certain portion of the upper surface 25 of the cylinder 24 to refill the not-genuine ink, as previously explained, this not-genuine ink will drop downwardly. Under such a circumstance, it is practically difficult to form such an improper hole in the cartridge case 19.
On the other hand, in such a case that an ink storage amount of the ink chamber 20 is reduced to reach a preselected amount by jetting the ink, printed characters/images are blurred. Accordingly, the user may suppose that the ink-jet recording apparatus is brought into the malfunction, or the ink stored in the ink cartridge is depleted. When the ink is depleted, the presently mounted ink cartridge is replaced by a new ink cartridge. It is preferable that the depletion of ink should be notified at least before the printed characters/images are blurred.
To this end, generally speaking, the requirements of replacing the respective ink cartridges 13 and 14 in response to such a fact that the ink storage amount of the ink chamber 20 is reduced to a preselected ink amount by jetting the ink may be visually displayed on a display unit (not shown), or may be acoustically notified by producing alarm sounds from a buzzer. Various sorts of notifying constructions may be proposed so as to notify such an ink depletion. Since the below-mentioned notification construction may be relatively simply arranged, this construction is usually employed, which is reflected on the ink-jet recording apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 11. That is, the printing rate after the new ink cartridge has been set is converted into the ink jetting amount, and while the accumulated amount thereof is compared with the ink storage amount of the ink cartridge, when the ink-remaining amount is reached to a preselected ink amount by checking the comparison result, this ink depletion is notified.
The respective black and color ink cartridges 13 and 14 may be constituted by employing the printing head 2 in the integral form, or separate form. In any constructions, since the printed characters/images are blurred when a sufficiently large amount of the black, or color ink is not supplied, these black and color ink cartridges 13 and 14 may be formed in such a manner that a depleted ink cartridge may be readily replaced by a new ink cartridge by a user in response to the above-explained notification. Then, when new ink cartridges are mounted on the ink-jet recording apparatus, the printing operation may be continuously carried out.
On the other hand, conventionally, these black and color ink cartridges 13 and 14 are provided from the manufacturer of this conventional ink-jet recording apparatus 1 as expendable supplies adapted to this ink-jet recording apparatus 1. The ink-depleted ink cartridge which has been replaced by the new ink cartridge is disposable. That is, this ink cartridge is not designed to be refilled by new ink. As a consequence, such a disposable ink cartridge may cause various problems, for instance, garbage problems, low cost performance aspects, and not-user friendly product. More specifically, when an expensive printing head integral-type cartridge is employed, this user-friendly product matter cannot be realized.
On the other hand, not-genuine cartridges manufactured by third parties from low cost materials, and furthermore, specially-designed piercing tools capable of only refilling ink into genuine ink cartridges and/or not-genuine refilling ink, which are also manufactured by third parties, are commercially available in the market.
However, such not-genuine ink cartridges may cause serious problems, although the shapes of these not-genuine ink cartridges may be made coincident with those of the genuine ink cartridges. That is, since the ink itself stored in these not-genuine ink cartridges is essentially different from the genuine ink, this not-genuine ink may be stuffed, or may not print out in desirable colors similar to the refilling not-genuine ink. This is because the manufacturing method of such not-genuine ink is completely different from that of the genuine ink. Moreover, since such not-genuine products having poor qualities are used, the conventional ink-jet recording apparatus itself would be brought into malfunction states.